"Elder Pai!" the Xinfaxian Sect disciples exclaimed as they ran towards Pai Lie while Xie Lan hit Qi Ling and Jing Xian with the weapon in his hand: Cleansing Stone.

"Ugh!" Qi Ling and Jing Xian cried as they rolled away on the ground.

Pai Lie who treated the Cleansing Stone as a treasure. "…"

The Xinfaxian Sect disciples who expected too much from their founder. "…"

Suddenly, they saw a bright light afar. "That's the Yunxiao Inn!" the Xinfaxian Sect disciples exclaimed.

Pai Lie's mind worked. "Hold on – " he said as he immediately teleported them.

Qi Ling and Jing Xian who were about to attack again, but saw they already disappeared. "Damn Cheng Sheng!" Qi Ling cursed as he glared at the bright light coming from the Yunxiao Inn. "Even if he isn't here, he still manages to help them!" he said as he punched the ground.

"Hah!" the Xinfaxian Sect disciples exclaimed when they appeared outside the Yunxiao Inn.

"Go inside!" Xie Lan said as he killed the demonic cultivators in just one wave. "Now!" he told them.

"Yes!" the Xinfaxian Sect disciples answered. Lei Qing carried the Cleansing Stone inside while You Rou and Lei Ling carried Pai Lie. However, they were blocked by a demonic cultivator!

"HAH!" Lei Qing yelled as she hit the demonic cultivator with the heavy stone.

"Ugh!" the demonic cultivator cried as he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Lei Ling, You Rou and Pai Lie. "…" can't you normally fight? They thought.

"Let's go!" Lei Qing said and they ran inside.

"Everyone!" Zuo Zhe and Xiao Le exclaimed when they saw the Xinfaxian Sect disciples arrived. "The Cleansing Stone?! And elder Pai?!" they said.

"Everyone is in danger being mind-controlled by Qi Ling." Pai Lie said as he rested on a seat. "I can't since my arrays are blocking his power. I guess this place can also block his power." He explained as he looked at Cheng Sheng's barrier glowing.

Sun Rong crossed his arms on his chest. "The Alliance messed up big time." He said. "You offended Cheng Sheng before, yet now you seek his help again." He grinned at Pai Lie.

Pai Lie didn't speak. "We have to protect the Cleansing Stone." He said. "The contestants are our only hope. If they can't go back within seven days…" he didn't continue.

Sun Rong's face darkened. "If something happens to Sun Yi…" he said, warning in his voice.

Zuo Zhe sighed and tried contacting Yu Sheng again. However, the space between them prevents him. He can't use the system again to check their situation in the secret realm. "Cheng Sheng will find a way." He said. They turned to him. "I believe in Cheng Sheng." He told them. He already sent signals to Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng is smart and will definitely tell Cheng Sheng.

Secret realm, Feng Hua Palace.

"One, two, three, four…" Cheng Sheng said as he counted the people he gathered. After he, Chen Han and Gong Xian met with Fei Yin, Yu Sheng and Kang Ce, they met Sun Yi, Li Tian, Feng Mo and Xi Xing, then Jing Cheng, Jing Bai, Jing Kang and Xi Ming. "… nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen." He finished. "Seven people are missing." He said.

"Ah Hei and Qian Lin." Jing Bai said.

"The Huakai Sect also." Xi Ming said.

"Wu Xi." Yu Sheng said.

"Cheng Sheng." Jing Cheng called. "Thank you for the medicine." He told him.

"Same here." Xi Ming said and smiled when he saw Xi Xing. "Come." He told him. Xi Xing immediately ran and hugged him. "Are you crying?" he asked.

"… I'm the one who hurt you." Xi Xing said, his voice muffled as he buried his face on Xi Ming's chest.

Xi Ming chuckled. "It's my impostor. And you don't know what will happen." He told him.

Jing Kang looked at Cheng Sheng. "So, the Cleansing Stone…" he said.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "There's only the Cleansing Stone in the Spring of Life left, which is our ticket to go back." He said.

"Are you sure… about what happened in the capital?" Jing Bai asked and looked at Yu Sheng.

"My pact with Zhe isn't cheap." Yu Sheng told him.

They shut up. "Shidi… my brother…" Sun Yi said.

Cheng Sheng smiled and patted Sun Yi's shoulder. "I already activated my barriers around the Yunxiao Inn. As long as he won't leave, he will be safe." He told Sun Yi.

Sun Yi sighed in relief. "Thank you." He said. Cheng Sheng just nodded.

Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Jing Kang looked at each other. "Can you feel what is the situation in the capital?" Jing Cheng asked. They remembered Cheng Sheng had tried to see the Xinfaxian's situation from the Zhongyang through his barrier.

Cheng Sheng's smile disappeared. "It is grave." He said. "They attacked the moment we destroyed our Cleansing Stone." He frowned.

"What?!" they exclaimed.

"Don't look at me like that." Cheng Sheng said. "I didn't expect this, too." He said as he gnashed his teeth in anger.

Fei Yin glared at the Zunjingde Sect again. "You're so persistent." He told them.

Li Tian, Feng Mo, Sun Yi and Yu Sheng. "…" the cold Fei Yin dissed someone again. They thought as they looked at him in surprise.

"Our shidi only informed you of the situation. It's your own choice you destroyed your Cleansing Stone." Li Tian sharply said.

Feng Mo frowned at the Zunjingde Sect. "Our shidi is benevolent to give you information when he doesn't need to, help you with your Heart Demon when he doesn't need to, and now inform you again about the capital when he doesn't need to…" he said, his eyes narrowing as he coldly looked at them.

Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Jing Kang felt multiple arrows had stabbed them.

Sun Yi kindly smiled at them, but his words are harsher. "You go getting yourselves into trouble then be helped but now suspecting the person who helped you?" he said as he looked at them. "You should've suspected him in the first place, then. Since there has no trust between us, it's better for us to split from here on." He said.

Xi Ming was shocked. "Second young master Sun!" he said.

"What? I'm just stating facts here." Sun Yi sternly said as he glanced at Xi Xing before he turned to Xi Ming. "You're friends with them enough to owe Cheng Sheng just to save them. I have no affiliation with the Shanliangde Sect anymore, so I have no obligation to look after you." He told them. "Since Cheng-shidi is kind, you can tag along with us. Like earlier, it's your choice." He said and glanced at the silent Zunjingde Sect.

"Let's go, shidi." Fei Yin said as he held Cheng Sheng's hand and pulled him. "You've done enough for them. We still have to find Wu Xi, then go back and help founder and our fellow disciples." He said.

"But – " Cheng Sheng said. However, surprisingly, it was the gentle Li Tian who pushed him to leave. Li Tian's face is dark, as well as Feng Mo's and the others. Yu Sheng may be smiling, but it can be seen he was irritated.

Everyone… he thought. He was about to look back to the Shanliangde Sect and the Zunjingde Sect, but Chen Han held his head and had him face forward.

"Ah Sheng. Are you leaving me again?" Chen Han asked.

"No…" Cheng Sheng answered.

"Then, stop looking back at them. They know what to do." Chen Han said.

Cheng Sheng stared at them before he sighed. He felt defeated.

"Shidi." Sun Yi called. "Have you not thought – " he looked at him. " – everything will be pinned on you after this mess?" he asked.

Cheng Sheng's eyes widened. "What?!" he said.

Sun Yi, who was always smiling, now wore a cold face. "After all, everyone saw and heard your suggestion of breaking the Cleansing Stones." He said. "Then, on cue, the demonic cultivators attacked. They will think you're colluding with the demonic cultivators. Worse – " he said and sharply inhaled. " – they'd think you're keeping us as your hostages here." He said.

Cheng Sheng felt his heart gone cold. "No…" he said as his face paled. "No… this isn't right – " he said.

"But, that's what they're likely going to do." Yu Sheng said as his brows knitted.

"No… no… I don't want that – " Cheng Sheng muttered as his body was bathed in cold sweat.

"That must be what they're planning – " Chen Han added.

"No… no. No!" he cried as he tried to cover his ears, but Fei Yin and Chen Han is holding his both hands while Li Tian, Feng Mo, Sun Yi and Yu Sheng are pushing him from behind to go forward. "No! NO! NO - !" he screamed and closed his eyes tight.

"SHENG!" Fei Yin called as he immediately hugged Cheng Sheng who was curled up on the ground and was crying. "Sheng! Sheng, it's alright. Hush…" he whispered as he rained kisses on Cheng Sheng's face and head to comfort him.

"F-Fei Yin…" Cheng Sheng called when he finally opened his eyes and saw it is already night.

"Cheng-shidi…" Li Tian, Feng Mo and Sun Yi called.

"Your Hi… Cheng Sheng." Yu Sheng called.

Cheng Sheng sobbed. "What happened just now? I saw you all…" he said. You're all too ruthless. He thought.

"We've reached the entrance of the palace." Yu Sheng said. "We camped for tonight to rest. Tomorrow, we will go inside." He said and paused. "You had a nightmare." He told him.